Pearls of Wisdom For Kingdom Living By Pastor George Belobaba

Joseph’s Name

Genesis 41:45… “And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt” (KJV).

This long name has a variety of meanings…

a) In the Vulgate it means “the Saviour of the world.”
b) Brugsch gives the meaning as “the prince of the life of the world.”
c) Canon Cook gives the meaning as “the food of life” or “the food of the living.”
d) Others use this long name as an Egyptian term meaning “the governor of the abode of Him who lives.”
e) In the margin of my King James Bible, it says that this means “a revealer of secrets” or “the man to whom secrets are revealed.”

All of these same meanings are found in the New Testament. Christ is the Saviour of the world (John 4:42). Christ is the prince of the life of this world (Acts 3:15) and is still the life of this world. Christ is the bread (food) of life (John 6:35). Christ is the food of the living (1 John 1:1). Christ is the Governor of the abode of Him who lives (Matthew 28:18, John 3:35). Christ is the revealer of secrets (Matthew 13:11,17). Christ is the man to whom secrets are revealed (John 14:24).

In a limited sense, what is applied to Christ also applies to the believer. In our text, Joseph was given a bride out of Egypt. The church is Christ’s bride, also redeemed out of this world, and given to Him that we might also reign with Him.